Adjustable crank attachment.



T. E. LUTZ.

ADJUSTABLE CRANK ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1a, 1908.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

T. E. LUTZ.

ADJUSTABLE CRANK ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1908.-

Patented 0011.4, 1910.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 WWW cows THEODORE E. LUTZ, OF GALION, OHIO.

ADJUSTABIiE CRANK ATTACHMENT.

emcee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented est. a, rare.

Application filed November 16, 1908. Serial No. 462,887.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, THEODORE E. LU'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Crank Attachment, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to an adjustable crank attachment.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and elficient crank attachment, designed particularly for use in connection with the operating mechanism of railways, signals, etc., but capable of being employed in any operating mechanism where it is desired to transmit the throw or motion of an actuating lever and change the direction of the transmitted motion, andv adapted to increase and decrease the transmitted motion and to take up lost motion and also to enable the direction of the transmitted motion to be changed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable crank attachment, adapted to be substituted for an ordinary bell crank lever and capable of enabling size and mi or details of construction, within- Gisa the precise throw or movement of an operating or actuating lever to be accurately maintained at all times.

--With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it bein understood that various changes in the orm, proportion,

the scope o the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the s irit or sacrificing any of the advantages 0 the invention. p In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of an adjustable crank attachment, constructed in accordance wit-h this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the oscillatory vibratory member. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. plan view of a crank attachment, illustrating a modification of the invention, theoscillatory member operating within one of the arms of the bell crank lever.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a stand or bracket consisting of a base plate 2 and an upwardly ext nd boss 7, forming a seat or bearing for the bell crank lever, which is pivoted in the space or opening 8 by a pin 9, piercing the top and having its lower end fitted into a socket 10 of the base plate. The pin or pivot 9 is retained in place by a split'key 11, and it is provided at its upper end or head with an annular groove 12, adaptedto receive a suitable tool or instrument to enable the pivot to be readily removed from the stand. The key 11, which is arranged horizontally, pierces the upper arm and passes through an opening 13 of the pivot or pin 9. The base plate is provided with openings 14: for the reception of fastening devices for securing it to a suitable support. While the bell crank lever is illustrated in a horizontal position, the adjustable crank attachment is capable of operating in any position. The bell crank lever, which is shown L- shaped in the accompanying drawings, may be of any other form to provide the desired number of arms. The arm 14 receivw and extends into an oscillatory vibratory member 15, tapered inwardly, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, and slotted edgewise to form a casing and to provide spaced upper and lower plates or portions, which are connected at the outer end,- but which may also be connected at the sides if desired. The arm 14 is arranged in the intervening spaces 16 between the upper and lower plates or portions of the member 15, which is pivoted to the arm 14 by means of a vertical pivot 17, located beyond the pivot of the bell crank lever, but it will be readily apparent that the pivot of the bell crank lever may also be utilized for pivotally connecting the member 15 with the bell crank lever. As this change is obvious,

illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. The pivot 17, which pierces the bell crank,

lever and the upper and lower plates or portions of the member 15, is retained in place by a s lit key' 17, and washers are also arrange at the top and bottom of the member 15 and interposed between the same and the head of the pivot 17 and the key 17. The vibratory member 15 is capable of a limited pivotal movement independent of the arm of the lever, and this movement is controlled by opposite stops located at the side edges of the member 15 and consisting of set screws 18, mounted in threaded openings 19 of connecting walls or flanges holding or looking the member 15 rigid with the arm 14 of the bell crank lever.

The device through the adjustment of the screws is adapted to maintain the precise throw of an operating or actuating lever, so that a movementof the same to and from a given oint will produce the desired movement 0 lever, and in event of an excessive movement of an actuating lever, the device will take care of the success of the movement and only the desired amount of movement will be transmitted to the mechanism to be operated. The adjustable stops, when emp oyed for locking the member 15 and the arm 14 of the bell crank lever rigid with each other, will permit a relative adjustment of the parts for changing the angle or direction of the transmitted motion. The member 15 is provided at its outer end with an ear 2 1, which by means of the said adjustment, can be secured either at right angles to the arm 25' of the bell crank lever or at an obtuse or acute angle to the same, and the member 15 ma be varied in width to secure the desired a just-ment of the parts. The controllin action of the set screws in limiting the relative movement of the parts will enable lost motion and wear and changes incident to the-action of the elements to be taken up or collected. The rod 26, which is pivoted to the ear 24 by a bolt or pin 27, may be connected with the actuating lever,

and the arm 25 of the bell crank lever may be connected through the rod 28 with the device or part to be actuated, but the attachment may be reversed and if desired each arm of the bell crank lever may be equipped with an adjustable member. The connecting rods 26 and 28 are angularly related,

and the adjustable crank attachment constitutes'means for transmitting motion from one rod to the other.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a modification of the invention, in which the bell crank lever- 29 has one of its arms slotted edgewise and receiving a vibratory member 30. The arm 31 of the bell crank lever is in the form of a casing and is constructed similar to the vibratory member 15, and it is provided at the mechanism actuated by the opposite sides with threaded openings 32 for the reception of set screws 33, which form stops for limiting the independent movement of the vibratory member 30. The set screws are secured in their adjustment by lock nuts 34, and the vibratory member 30 is pivoted at its inner end to the bell crank lever by a pin 35, provided at its 1nner end with a head and secured at its lower end by a key 36. Washers are also preferably arranged on the pin 35 at the top and bottom of the arm 31 of the bell crank lever. The outer end of the vibratory member 30 extendsbeyond the casing or housing formed by the arm 31 and provides an ear for the attachment of a rod 37 The bell crank lever 29 is connected with a rod 38. Rods like those illustrated in Fig. 1 are designed to be connected with or form a portion of any rod or pipe connection, or similar connecting means between the actuating lever and the device or part to be moved by the same.

Havin thus fully described my invention,

what I c aim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In operating mechanism for railways, signals, etc., the combination with a pair of an larly related connecting rods, of an ad ustable crank attachment including a support, a lever pivoted at an intermediatement, means for pivotally connecting the said member to the other connecting rod, and adjustable means located at opposite sides of the casing for limiting and varying the independent movement of the lever an the oscillatory member. 7

2. In operating mechanism for railways signals, etc., the combination with a pair 0 angularly related conne'ctingrods, of an ad- 'ustable crank attachment including a lever aving one of its arms pivotally connected with one of the said rods, 3. vibrato member pivotally mounted on and carrie by the other arm of the lever and provided at its inner portion with an opening through which the lever extends, said member being ivoted to the other connecting rod and hav-' with one of the said rods, an inwardly tapered vibratory member consisting of a casing and having an opening at its inner portion through which the other arm of the lever extends, said member being pivoted at its inner end to the lever and having a 010 d outer end provided with an ear pivotall eonnected with the other rod, and adjustable stops mounted on the member at 10 opposite sides of the same for varying the independent movement of the lever and the member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my slgnature in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE E. LUTZ.

Witnesses:

'C. H. HENKEL,

BERTHA GREBm 

